Water slides, animated cartoon characters, carousels, fast food, and sweets — for many, an ideal family vacation looks like this. Today, theme parks are incredibly popular all over the world. To maintain the status of one of the most attractive segments of the entertainment industry, the creators of amusement parks are constantly improving their projects. Iron carousels are being replaced by augmented and virtual reality technologies. Today, we invite you to check the list of the most visited and exciting entertainment venues in the world.
1) Thorpe Park
Once upon a time on the site of London’s Thorpe Park, there was a gravel pit. It now hosts one of the five most extreme European amusement parks. There are many interesting things both for kids and adults: slot machines like bompers, the Angry Birds zone, extreme slides, etc.
2) Europa-Park
Europa-Park is the largest entertainment project in Germany. The name reveals its concept: it is a miniature Europe that can be walked around in a day. Traveling from one zone to another, visitors find themselves in 13 “countries”. On the territory of each, you can learn about local customs, get acquainted with the national costumes, and taste traditional cuisine.
3) Port Aventura
Port Aventura is located an hour’s drive from Barcelona. The park is divided into six thematic zones. You can get to any of them by boat or a special tourist train. Adults will appreciate the 76-meter Shambhala roller coaster in the China zone. Younger visitors are welcome in the Sesame zone and a 50,000 sq.m water park in the Caribbean style.
4) Ferrari World
Ferrari World amusement park is built on the artificial island of Yas in Abu Dhabi. You can get there from the center of the capital in half an hour. There are two dozen racing attractions, innovative simulators, electric karting, a Ferrari brand boutique, a car museum, and Italian cafés.
5) Mirabilandia, Italy
The largest Italian amusement park is located on the Adriatic coast — between Rimini and Ravenna. The territory of 850 thousand sq. m includes five thematic zones and about 40 attractions. Among the scariest ones are an inverted roller coaster, a horror house, the world’s tallest water slides, and an extreme iSpeed.
6) The Wizarding World of Harry Potter
The magical world of Harry Potter has been reconstructed on eight hectares of land in Florida. There is the village of Hogsmeade, the Three Broomsticks restaurant, the Hogwarts Express steam train, and a replica of the school of witchcraft and wizardry. Every entertainment in the park is somehow connected with the plots of the books and films about Harry Potter.
7) Ocean Park
Ocean Park in Hong Kong is a great way to combine business with pleasure because on its territory there is not only a water park but also a zoo and an aquarium. The aquarium has a variety of jellyfish, which will impress even adults. If you are in Hong Kong, try combining a family visit with Ocean Park, just keep in mind that such a program will be quite tedious for a child.